Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) has moved to reassure families and community members following concerns over the condition of graves at the Avalon Muslim Cemetery, saying there is no evidence pointing to deliberate desecration.
The concerns surfaced after several graves appeared to have been disturbed, prompting fears that burial sites may have been intentionally damaged.Following an assessment of the situation, however, JCPZ said the available evidence suggested that the damage was accidental and may have occurred as mourners made their way between graves.
Speaking to GLOBE POST, JCPZ spokesperson Jenny Moodley said there was nothing at this stage to support claims of intentional vandalism. “Thankfully, the evidence does not support this, as it looks like mourners trying to access graves stepped on existing graves,” Moodley said.
The matter caused concern among families and members of the Muslim community, given the religious and cultural importance of treating burial sites with dignity and respect.JCPZ’s findings suggest that people attempting to reach particular graves may have inadvertently stepped on neighbouring burial sites, leaving some of them looking disturbed.
The entity has therefore sought to ease fears that the cemetery was deliberately targeted, saying its assessment has not uncovered evidence supporting allegations of intentional grave desecration. JCPZ also provided clarity around another cemetery that has recently drawn public attention. Slovoville Memorial Park in Doornkop, commonly referred to as the “Slovo Cemetery”, should not be confused with the late Joe Slovo’s gravesite at the City-owned Avalon Cemetery in Soweto.
Slovoville Memorial Park is privately owned and managed, while Avalon Cemetery forms part of the City of Johannesburg’s cemeteries portfolio and is managed by JCPZ. The distinction is important to avoid confusion between the privately managed Slovoville Memorial Park and Avalon Cemetery, where Joe Slovo is buried and where JCPZ is responsible for management and maintenance.
